TOPIC:

No service papers, as you say

There are a few men of this name in the Great War. I'm not sure whether a deserter would have been allowed back in or welcomed back in at that time?

Presuming your man came from the Lancashire area, there are possibly service papers for a relative or his father from a generation before:

DUERDEN, RALPH 1859 — 1877 British Army Service Records 1760-1915 Nelson, Burnley, Lancashire, England

djb wrote: Patrick,

You are on a roll!

The medal roll for this man suggests the authorities tried to recover his medal after the desertion but that they failed to do this so this is a medal that should no longer be around?

David. Thank you. I couldn't decipher the comment on the roll, but I presume it says'Cannot recover', given your message?

Patrick

Yes, I think so. Plus the date August (?) 1910.

Patrick,

His KSA (2) is listed on WO100/336p157 with the surname Duerdon. The note attached says the KSA was returned to the Mint 15 June 1910. The remarks on the roll say 'To Army Reserve'. The roll is dated 8 Dec 02.

So did he desert from the Army Reserve? Can you even do that?

So perhaps the date on the QSA roll is 6/10 which would make more sense?